The National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences (NATAS) in cooperation with the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences (ATAS), today announced the Drama Performer Pre-Nominations for the 39th Annual Daytime Entertainment Emmy® Awards.

This year a new initiative was used to determine the Drama Performer Pre-nominees in response to changes requested in the pre-nomination voting process by the daytime drama performer community. A ballot containing a full list of entrants in each of the six performer categories was sent to registered, eligible peer judges. The ballot contained an unrevealed and randomized order of performers in each category, regardless of their show affiliation. Judges were required to view clips containing the work of each performer entry before selecting their top 10 performer choices in each category.

The judges sent their ballots directly to Lutz & Carr, an independent accounting firm, who tabulated the results. The Lead Actor contains 11 pre-nominated performers due to a tie in this category. The candidates below who received the highest number of votes now advance to the blue ribbon at-home screening round, scheduled to begin on March 27th, 2012, which will determine both nominees and winners.

Pre-nominated performers in alphabetical order in six categories follow below:

OUTSTANDING LEAD ACTRESS IN A DRAMA SERIES
CRYSTAL CHAPPELL, as Dr. Carly Manning
Days of our Lives, NBC

JEANNE COOPER, as Katherine Chancellor
The Young and the Restless, CBS

KASSIE DEPAIVA, as Blair Cramer
One Life to Live, ABC

SUSAN FLANNERY, as Stephanie Forrester
The Bold and the Beautiful, CBS

DEBBI MORGAN, as Angie Hubbard
All My Children, ABC

ERIKA SLEZAK, as Viki Lord
One Life to Live, ABC

MICHELLE STAFFORD, as Phyllis Summers Newman
The Young and the Restless, CBS

MELODY THOMAS SCOTT, as Nikki Newman
The Young and the Restless, CBS

HEATHER TOM, as Katie Logan Spencer
The Bold and the Beautiful, CBS

LAURA WRIGHT, as Carly Corinthos Jax
General Hospital, ABC

OUTSTANDING LEAD ACTOR IN A DRAMA SERIES
MAURICE BENARD, as Michael "Sonny" Corinthos, Jr.
General Hospital, ABC

STEVE BURTON, as Jason Morgan
General Hospital, ABC

DON DIAMONT, as Bill Spencer, Jr.,
The Bold and the Beautiful, CBS

ANTHONY GEARY, as Luke Spencer
General Hospital, ABC

VINCENT IRIZARRY, as David Hayward
All My Children, ABC

JOHN MCCOOK, as Eric Forrester
The Bold and the Beautiful, CBS

MICHAEL MUHNEY, as Adam Newman
The Young and the Restless, CBS

STEPHEN NICHOLS, as Tucker McCall
The Young and the Restless, CBS

JERRY VERDORN, as Clint Buchanan
One Life to Live, ABC

DARNELL WILLIAMS, as Jesse Hubbard
All My Children, ABC

ROBERT S. WOODS, as Bo Buchanan
One Life to Live, ABC

OUTSTANDING SUPPORTING ACTRESS IN A DRAMA SERIES
JULIE MARIE BERMAN, as Lulu Spencer
General Hospital, ABC

NADIA BJORLIN, as Chloe Lane
Days of our Lives, NBC

MELISSA CLAIRE EGAN, as Annie Chandler
All My Children, ABC

GENIE FRANCIS, as Genevieve Atkinson
The Young and the Restless, CBS

NANCY LEE GRAHN, as Alexis Davis
General Hospital, ABC

ELIZABETH HENDRICKSON, as Chloe Mitchell
The Young and the Restless, CBS

REBECCA HERBST, as Elizabeth Webber
General Hospital, ABC

DEBBI MORGAN, as Harmony Hamilton
The Young and the Restless, CBS

GINA TOGNONI, as Kelly Cramer
One Life to Live, ABC

ARIANNE ZUCKER, as Nicole Walker
Days of our Lives, NBC

OUTSTANDING SUPPORTING ACTOR IN A DRAMA SERIES
BRADFORD ANDERSON, as Damien Spinelli
General Hospital, ABC

MATTHEW ASHFORD, as Jack Deveraux
Days of our Lives, NBC

SEAN BLAKEMORE, as Shawn Butler
General Hospital, ABC

SCOTT CLIFTON, as Liam Cooper aka William Spencer III
The Bold and the Beautiful, CBS

JONATHAN JACKSON, as Lucky Spencer
General Hospital, ABC

MICHAEL E. KNIGHT, as Tad Martin
All My Children, ABC

BILLY MILLER, as Billy Abbott
The Young and the Restless, CBS

GREG RIKAART, as Kevin Fisher
The Young and the Restless, CBS

JASON THOMPSON, as Patrick Drake
General Hospital, ABC

JOHN WESLEY SHIPP, as Eddie Ford
One Life To Live, ABC

OUTSTANDING YOUNGER ACTRESS IN A DRAMA SERIES
LEXI AINSWORTH, as Kristina Corinthos Davis
General Hospital, ABC

CAMILA BANUS, as Gabi Hernandez
Days of our Lives, NBC

MOLLY BURNETT, as Melanie Layton
Days of our Lives, NBC

NATALIE HALL, as Colby Chandler
All My Children, ABC

SHELLEY HENNIG, as Stephanie Johnson
Days of our Lives, NBC

CHRISTEL KHALIL, as Lily Winters
The Young and the Restless, CBS

JACQUELINE MACINNES WOOD, as Steffy Forrester
The Bold and the Beautiful, CBS

KATE MANSI, as Abigail Deveraux
Days of our Lives, NBC

KIM MATULA, as Hope Logan
The Bold and the Beautiful, CBS

HALEY PULLOS, as Molly Lansing Davis
General Hospital, ABC

OUTSTANDING YOUNGER ACTOR IN A DRAMA SERIES
EDDIE ALDERSON, as Matthew Buchanan
One Life To Live, ABC

CASEY DEIDRICK, as Chad DiMera
Days of our Lives, NBC

CHAD DUELL, as Michael Corinthos
General Hospital, ABC

ADAM GREGORY, as Thomas Forrester
The Bold and the Beautiful, CBS

DAVID A. GREGORY, as Robert Ford
One Life To Live, ABC

BRYTON JAMES, as Devon Hamilton Winters
The Young and the Restless, CBS

Michael Muhney was the most vocal actor against the old system and now that it changed, he appears on the list. Why do the Daytime Emmys feel like an insider's club every year? It never feels like the best work is being honored but more of who is part of the in crowd, or can influence the voting system the most. I like some of the changes on paper, but it doesn't seem like much different results to me.

For the Indie Soap Awards, we watched all the episodes for every show we considered. Some are five minutes long while others may be up to 30 minutes. If they all were 30 it would have been impossible with so many web series out there. But we REALLY want to award who we think was the best (even if in the end it's all subjective and only our opinions). I don't think there is a great system to be implemented when you're dealing with an academy or a group that isn't familiar with all the material. Even with the Oscars, which seems like a manageable amount of material to judge per category, there has been controversy.

Whatever the case, with The ISAs we just wanted to create a celebration of this genre and the creative talents that produce so much great work. If they Daytime Emmys could become THAT again, it might be worth watching, or at least worth attending.

And let's see now. Billy Miller puts himself in Supporting (again), when he was actually among the Top Five actors used on Y&R last year (140 episodes despite a one month absence) with actually more episodes than Peter Bergman. Exactly whom is Mr. Miller supporting?? .. lol!

And Debbi Morgan. If she's able to secure nominations for both lead and supporting on two different soaps in the same year, would that be a first for the record books?

It's all silliness as long as people are putting themselves into the wrong category just to give themselves a better chance. Whether it's something they decide or the show decides it undermines what the categories mean. If the Daytime Emmys become a luncheon of people in the industry, would it push actors to be true to the spirit of it more? I would be embarrassed sitting in a room full of my peers knowing I was a lead actor who felt he couldn't win in the lead category.

I can't disagree, zyxwvuts, but based upon what some of the individuals share with the public, I find it difficult to believe that they would be embarrassed.

If you didn't have story, I think it's wrong to submit yourself, full stop. However, for at least one who didn't have story (not to mention not having talent, but that's another story) and submitted anyway shows self to be shallow and not a prime example of a human being, anyway. Why that person is so popular (and who is still in the running, for now) is disturbing to me.